Participants:
Series Code: LTBW
Program Code: LTBW190036S
|
00:01 The following program features real clients
00:03 discussing sensitive issues. 00:05 The views and opinions expressed in this program 00:07 don't necessarily reflect 00:09 that of 3ABN's Dare to Dream Network. 00:11 Viewer discretion is advised. 00:49 Hi, I'm Dr. Kim Logan-Nowlin, 00:51 and welcome to Live To Be Well. 00:54 What is live to be well? 00:56 Mind, body and soul, but that commitment to God. 01:01 God makes all things possible. 01:03 Today, I want to talk about commitment to God, 01:07 having that clear, good relationship with God 01:10 not just going to church and going through the motion, 01:14 but spending time in His presence. 01:17 Today, I want to welcome Elder Jamel Dorsett. 01:20 Welcome, Elder, how are you? 01:22 Doing well, Doc. And thank you for having me. 01:24 So I know you're an elder. 01:26 But I also know you as Jamel, 01:27 because I've seen you grow up in the church. 01:29 You have. Yes, I have. 01:30 I'm not that much older. Okay? 01:33 So let's talk about who you are. 01:35 You grew up at the Ecorse Seventh-day Adventist Church. 01:38 I did, yes. As well your family. 01:40 All right? Exactly. 01:41 And so, are you a second, third, fourth generation 01:44 Seventh-day Adventist? 01:45 Third. You're third generation. 01:47 What does that mean to you being a Seventh-day Adventist? 01:50 I think it means everything in light of my faith, 01:52 commitment, what has been instilled in me from my birth, 01:56 and of course, to be able to practice that 01:58 openly and honestly, 01:59 as it relates to my commitment to God. 02:02 You are first elder in your church. 02:04 I am. That's a lot of responsibility. 02:06 Very much. What's involved with that? 02:08 And why did you take that position? 02:11 I know many are called but few are chosen. 02:13 Very true. So why did you say yes? 02:16 I said yes, because I think it's a part of my calling, 02:19 having gone through the rigors of Andrews 02:22 and then doing an MDiv. 02:23 And, of course, preparing for pastoral ministry. 02:25 It's just something that automatically came. 02:28 But, of course, I was a little bit nervous about it. 02:30 Because I know the commitment. Yeah. 02:31 Of course, being absent, 02:33 I would be the one to take on the helm. 02:36 And that is a difficult charge, 02:37 specifically in the context 02:39 of being led by the Holy Spirit. 02:41 But when I visit your church, 02:42 I see you doing Sabbath School also. 02:44 So are you Sabbath School superintendent 02:46 or one of the teachers, 02:48 you know, 'cause I've sat in your class? 02:49 As a matter of fact, 02:51 I used to be the Sabbath School superintendent at Ecorse. 02:53 So what I find myself doing is stepping up where need be. 02:56 And that's what a pastor or an elder does. 02:59 So sometimes when you come to church on Sabbath, 03:02 individuals might be a little bit short staffed, 03:04 so I'll just kind of jump in and fill in where need. 03:06 All right, you love the Lord? 03:08 I do love the Lord. Why? 03:09 I love the Lord because He loves me. 03:11 Matter of fact, that's what the scripture says, 03:13 He first died for us and loved us. 03:15 And initially, what I tried to do is 03:16 imitate that through my character 03:18 and my actions. 03:19 You mentioned MDiv Masters of Divinity 03:22 from Andrews University. 03:24 Again, Andrews University 03:25 is one of the Seventh-day Adventist schools 03:27 located in Berrien Springs, Michigan 03:30 for undergrad and higher education. 03:32 So you felt a calling to do MDiv. 03:36 I did. I did. 03:37 As a matter of fact, being active 03:38 and engaged in a church for many years that I have, 03:41 I knew I had to further my education. 03:43 And of course, that began with both undergrad 03:45 and then of course, 03:46 matriculating to the theological seminary, 03:49 and it has been tremendously a blessing 03:51 has truly shaped my life. 03:52 Praise God. How has it shaped your life? 03:55 Well, it gives you a sense of purpose, 03:57 which initially, when we're born and created 03:58 in the image of God, 04:00 we have that 04:01 but, of course, it puts you in a context 04:03 of a deeper calling, 04:04 what's important? 04:05 Is it the tangible things of this earth? 04:07 Or is it a high calling in reference 04:09 to what he would have us to do? 04:11 And I believe in the context of that 04:12 that equates to service. 04:14 Service, Jesus, He came to serve. 04:17 He did. And we... 04:18 And with humility, 04:20 and how does humility work with your ministry? 04:23 Oh, I think humility is 04:24 provocatively profound in my ministry, 04:26 I don't think you can minister without a sense of humility. 04:29 All of us have been given gifts and talents. 04:32 But how do we use that in the context 04:34 of how God has blessed stuff? 04:35 I mean, I grew up in the city of Detroit, 04:37 you know, so to be able to grow up in the city of Detroit 04:40 to matriculate to Andrews University, 04:42 higher education. 04:44 I'm totally humbled by that. 04:45 And I use that as an experience 04:47 to show others that they can do the same thing. 04:49 Well, you know what? 04:50 I want to go back to Andrews University 04:52 because something special happened to you 04:54 at Andrews University. 04:55 It did. You met someone? 04:56 Lord help us. Yes, I did. I did. 04:58 I met a wonderful, wonderful young lady. 05:00 As a matter of fact, she was educator, 05:02 still is an educator. 05:03 Yes. 05:05 And, of course, we begin courting 05:06 and then courting led on to counseling 05:08 and counseling led on to marriage. 05:10 How important is counseling in premarital counseling? 05:13 Well, I don't think I could say it. 05:15 If I had to echo it from a rooftop, 05:17 I would say vitally important, 05:19 um, because you're looking at two different people 05:21 from two different backgrounds, two different characters, 05:24 two different demeanors. 05:25 And initially, when you sit down 05:27 with that counselor, 05:28 the counselor unpacks all of your stuff. 05:30 Yes. 05:31 And sometimes we don't like to deal 05:32 with our stuff or baggage. 05:34 No, we not. 05:35 And you're dealing with those personalities. 05:36 Yes. 05:38 See in the beginning of that romance you, 05:39 you know, you get the flirtation, 05:41 infatuation, 05:42 you don't see the flaws. 05:44 But when you start getting in there, 05:46 you say to yourself, this is not healthy for me. 05:50 Absolutely. 05:51 I remember I went to a wedding 05:52 with one of my god sons. 05:54 And I said, as soon as I met her, 05:58 I said, this is not the one. 06:00 He says, Oh my, why would you say this? 06:01 I love her. I love her. 06:03 I said, I'm telling you, this is not the one. 06:06 And they did not have the premarital counseling, 06:10 and both Seventh-day Adventists. 06:13 And they just believe that this is what was going to be, 06:17 it was going to be the best for them. 06:20 And they've had some serious challenges. 06:23 And they're in counseling today dealing with that. 06:26 Yes. 06:27 You and I have known each other but you took a risk. 06:30 I did. 06:32 You took a risk by contacting me, 06:33 and to ask me to be your therapist. 06:36 Of course, yeah. 06:37 And usually people don't want to be that transparent 06:40 because I see you in church. 06:41 That's true. 06:43 I don't want that person knowing my business. 06:44 But you stepped out on faith and you called me. 06:47 I did. 06:49 And I was surprised because of the fact, 06:50 we usually don't hear from people 06:52 with inside our church. 06:55 They go outside. Why did you call me? 06:59 Well, I think it's important, I think you said, 07:00 well, we have a history there. 07:02 You know, I've known you for many years, 07:03 both you and your husband, 07:05 of course when he was living, wonderful individual. 07:07 And of course, you still are as well, 07:09 just a gifted and anointed person of God, 07:12 and someone who has the skill level 07:14 and the education to help both myself and my wife. 07:16 So that was initially why I called, 07:18 and I would say that my wife wasn't on board at first. 07:21 Because, of course, as you stated, 07:23 knowing people's business in the church 07:25 and just wanting a safe place. 07:26 So that's why I put in the initial call. 07:29 Yeah. 07:30 So recognizing that 07:32 you knew you needed some help, 07:33 because the myth is that we don't get help. 07:37 You know, African-Americans don't get help. 07:40 But not only did you marry a woman 07:43 she's from, she's not American. 07:45 That is true. 07:46 What are some of the challenges... 07:47 Where is she from? She's from the Bahamas? 07:49 And so what are some of the challenges 07:51 you being American and her from the Bahamas? 07:55 You know, there is, first of all, 07:56 there's a communication, 07:58 there's a difference in communication. 08:00 She is Bahamian, her mother's Jamaican. 08:02 So sometimes there is some issues 08:05 there of how we talk to each other 08:07 some things that are said, how it said, 08:10 the body language there, all of those have been 08:12 challenging for us over the years. 08:14 In this initially, that's why we sought your help. 08:17 So you can help us unpack that to see where we need to be. 08:20 Yes. 08:21 How important is it for you to study 08:23 your Word on a daily basis? 08:25 Oh, my goodness. Very important. 08:26 You know what? 08:27 It's amazing, Dr. Kim, I can tell 08:29 when I have not studied my Word, 08:30 because my character is totally off. 08:32 Yeah. So I'm an early riser. 08:33 I'm up for four, five o'clock in the morning, 08:35 because my days are long. 08:36 Yes. 08:37 So initially, I read several devotional books 08:39 and not just the Sabbath School lesson, 08:42 men of integrity. 08:44 I read a lot of Dr. King's writings. 08:46 Things that pours into my spirit, 08:48 things that will help me be more active 08:50 and more progressive 08:51 as I continue my Christian walk, 08:53 And you utilize that in your daily walk 08:56 in your home and your marriage. 08:57 Absolutely. 08:59 Balancing all of this. 09:00 Where's Mrs. Dorsett in all of this? 09:03 How do you get her in there? 09:05 Exactly, exactly. You know what? 09:07 We try to have time as best as we can. 09:09 As a matter of fact, it's amazing. 09:10 As I came home yesterday, 09:12 and she came home, she said, Well, hun, 09:13 one of the things that Dr. Kim told us 09:15 is that when we come home, 09:17 we need to kind of digress a little bit 09:18 and see how each other's day is spend. 09:20 So we find time, you have to make time, 09:23 it's critical to the relationship, 09:25 turning off the iPhone, turning off the television. 09:28 With me, it might be answering the email from a client, 09:30 you have to turn it off. 09:32 Yeah. 09:33 And check out the best interest of the person. 09:34 Yes. 09:36 So making sure that you have time, 09:38 make sure that you are, 09:39 you know, reading the Word of God together, 09:41 praying together. 09:42 How important is for couples to, 09:45 you know, read the Word 09:46 and have that spiritual connection 09:47 in their marriage? 09:49 I think it's very important. 09:50 I think the Lord wants us to come together as a couple 09:53 to be able to nurture each other, 09:55 to watch each other grow. 09:57 That's what couples should do. Yes. 09:59 In this ideal world, you know, we're very busy. 10:02 But that's what the enemy wants us to be busy, 10:04 you know, but we have to prioritize. 10:07 So my wife and I, we find ourselves prioritizing, 10:09 kneeling together, 10:11 looking at each other in eye contact. 10:13 You know, hun, what's going on with you today? 10:15 How are you feeling this morning? 10:17 How can I be a blessing to you? 10:19 It's very important. 10:20 I you your love word is hun. Yes. 10:22 You know how long you've been saying hun, 10:24 even your dating stage? 10:25 I would say probably yeah, 10:27 maybe about four years 10:29 because we've been married a total of five years now. 10:31 In January of 2020 would make six years. 10:33 Now were you married in the Bahamas 10:35 or in the United States? 10:36 We were actually married here in the States. 10:38 Is that right. How come I didn't get invited. 10:39 What was up with that? Okay. You were busy. 10:41 I was busy. 10:44 So next thing I know Jamel is married. 10:46 I'm like what? 10:47 I missed it, you know 'cause I get all the invitations. 10:49 I'm blessed. I'm blessed. 10:50 That's favor from the Lord. 10:52 You know, when you're a good person, 10:53 you pour into people's lives. 10:55 But you've also put in mind your family, 10:57 you know, how your aunt poured into Arthur's life. 11:01 Yes, 11:02 when Arthur was looking for this position, 11:05 and she was like, meet me for lunch. 11:07 And she hired Arthur as her deputy director. 11:11 And that was a blessing to us, 11:13 not just financially, but the relationship. 11:16 And he learned so much from your aunt, 11:18 and where he was in the field of social work 11:21 and how she helped guide him. 11:23 Now, let me ask you this. 11:25 How do you deal with disagreements in your church? 11:29 You're the head elder, someone comes to you. 11:31 Well, I didn't like what you said today. 11:34 I think you were wrong. 11:35 And then now they're in the court door 11:37 of the church. 11:38 How do you handle that? 11:40 Well, first of all, tactfully, very tactfully, 11:43 very humbly, I believe we mentioned that earlier on. 11:45 You have to keep in mind when you're the head elder 11:47 when you're in leadership, 11:49 whether it's pastorial or eldership, 11:51 you have to have a keen sense of discernment. 11:53 You're dealing with all 11:55 different types of personalities, characters. 11:57 Our church is made up of African-Americans 11:59 and of course, Bahamians, Jamaicans. 12:01 So you just have to have a humble spirit. 12:03 Yes. 12:04 And that includes maybe pulling the person aside, 12:06 privately some time saying, you know what? 12:08 I'm trying, I want to hear you, what is your concern? 12:11 I can see that you're a little bit agitated. 12:13 And I want to see how can we help this process? 12:15 So that's what you would do? Yes. 12:17 So he's deal take them into the private area. 12:20 Of course. 12:22 You know, and if pastor is not there, 12:24 you are responsible 12:25 for the whole operation of the church. 12:27 You know, what do you do 12:28 when pastor calls you at the last minute 12:31 said, I need you to speak. 12:33 It is challenging, you know, 12:34 but one of my mentors always told me, 12:36 he says, a true pastor is prepared at all times. 12:40 And what he meant by that is just always having 12:42 a manuscript ready. 12:44 So when the pastor calls me at a late hour 12:46 and needs me to preach. 12:48 By God's grace, I'm prepared, 12:49 you know, and it's amazing how the Lord oftentimes 12:51 gives us a word to speak to His people. 12:53 He does, He really does. God is faithful. 12:56 Now, I remember in a counseling session, 12:59 you talked about several of your members passing. 13:02 Yes. 13:03 And our prayers are with you all. 13:05 And you had to leave home at 3 AM in the morning, 13:09 because you were closer to the family. 13:12 Of course. And so what did you do? 13:14 Yeah, so I received the call, it was roughly about maybe 13:17 4:55, 5 o'clock, I wake early. 13:20 I'm usually up at that time, but this particular morning, 13:22 I have not been. 13:24 So when I see the number, I knew what had happened. 13:27 Pastor unfortunately doesn't live close to where I live. 13:31 And I just immediately got up, we prayed, showered, 13:34 put on my suit. 13:36 And it is amazing arrived, maybe around 6 o'clock 13:41 and the entire family was outside 13:43 at the cancer institution. 13:45 And I ministered right there on the spot to the family. 13:47 Wow. 13:49 Thus so talk about God's timing. 13:50 You can't beat it. You can't beat it. 13:51 Not at all. 13:53 You know, talk about your journey 13:54 becoming a chaplain? 13:56 Yes. 13:57 So it's amazing, started my chaplaincy 13:58 in behavior health, 14:00 believe it or not, 14:01 and it was truly a blessing 14:03 and was able to finish my first unit. 14:05 And then of course, a year after, 14:07 my wife always told me, she said, Jamel, 14:09 you speak quite well, you can communicate. 14:11 She said, I think you would be an outstanding chaplain. 14:14 So kind of put it off for a year. 14:15 And by God's grace kind of submitted an application 14:18 and the individual contacted me within 24 hours. 14:21 And that led to a residency at St. Joseph Hospital, 14:25 here in the city. 14:26 All right. 14:27 And it has been truly a blessing to work 14:29 in that venue, truly amazing blessing. 14:32 That's a blessing. 14:34 Let's talk to young couples who are dating. 14:38 What are some of the things they need to look at 14:40 and prepare before contemplating marriage? 14:43 Yeah, yeah. 14:44 First and foremost, know who you are. 14:46 I think that's important. 14:47 Figure out who you are on your history 14:50 in reference to your family. 14:52 What were you exposed to, 14:54 which is very important because what we don't realize 14:56 is that we carry that over into the relationship. 15:00 Pay attention to how the person treats their mother, 15:02 their father their responses. 15:05 If you guys have a disagreement, 15:07 what about their body language? 15:09 Or you know, are they a person 15:10 who can forgive? 15:12 Or do they kind of hold on to things? 15:14 Those are very important, 15:16 especially if you're talking about courting 15:17 and marrying someone. 15:19 I like the word courting. 15:21 Because we've gotten away you know, 15:23 I mean, dating is fun. 15:24 But, you know, I enjoyed being courted, 15:27 Arthur courted me. 15:29 Pick me up at my door. 15:32 Open my door for me. 15:34 Pull my chair out at the restaurant. 15:36 Put my napkin over my lap. 15:39 I was like, I love that. 15:42 Would you like me to order for you? 15:45 I recommend this on the menu. 15:48 Just amazing courtship. 15:51 Even the way he spoke on the phone. 15:53 You hang up first. No, you hang up first. 15:55 And you know, we're both sleepy. 15:57 But no, I'm not gonna hang up on you, 15:58 because you'll never say I hung up on you. 16:00 Exactly. Yeah, 'cause we will do that. 16:02 You hung up on me, you know, but I asked you to hang up. 16:05 No. So that courtship and relationship is crucial. 16:11 But we're in this fast modality now 16:14 that we meet someone. 16:15 We get to know them and you just saw our family. 16:18 And we're walking down the aisle. 16:20 But we missed all the premarital counseling, 16:23 the spirituality, 16:25 really that family origin piece? 16:27 Of course, I need to know, 16:29 I want to go to your family reunion. 16:30 I need to see where you come from. 16:32 Yes. And I'm serious about that. 16:34 I need to go to church with you, 16:37 attend church with you. 16:38 I need to be with you at Sabbath dinners 16:41 and be around you. 16:42 But if you are not in tune with that person, 16:46 you're going to miss it and it will, 16:48 you will have to pay later, you know? 16:51 How do you court your wife? You know what? 16:54 Pretty much some of the things that you said 16:55 one of the things that I love to do is always 16:57 compliment my wife. 16:59 My wife is a very beautiful person. 17:00 Yes, she is. Yes, lovely dresser. 17:02 Yeah, lovely dresser, beautiful character, 17:05 beautiful smile. 17:07 As we go out opening the door, pulling out her chair. 17:11 Hun, is it anything that I can do for you today? 17:13 As a matter of fact, she comes home sometimes 17:15 she has her favorite slippers. 17:17 Her slippers are there at the door for her. 17:19 So just making sure that she's nurtured. 17:21 Appreciate it. 17:22 But most of all that her hubby loves her. 17:24 You cook? I do cook. 17:25 What do you cook? Oh, stop it. 17:27 You know, lasagna. My parents taught me well. 17:31 From scratch? From scratch. Absolutely. 17:33 Yeah. No way. Mac and cheese. 17:35 Come on now. No way. 17:36 Yes, we did. You do greens? 17:38 I can do greens but I need a little help there. 17:41 Absolutely. 17:42 Does she fix her special dishes from the island for you? 17:47 You know what? I've come to love some of them. 17:51 Some of them. 17:52 I'm still working my way through, 17:54 but she will cook them. 17:55 Are they spicy? You know what? 17:57 She doesn't like a lot of spicy food. 17:58 I don't need that. I don't like spicy. 18:00 Yeah. So they're not spicy. 18:01 But she likes a lot of the plantings. 18:02 I don't do the planting. Oh, I love planting. 18:04 I love them. Yeah. 18:05 They're delicious. You like that? 18:07 With the flavor and the texture? 18:09 Yeah, yeah. 18:10 Okay, so you don't like bananas? 18:12 Oh, I love bananas, but just don't like them fry. 18:16 Okay. Yeah. 18:17 Commitment to God. 18:20 You know, what should God be in our lives? 18:23 God should be everything in our lives. 18:26 And that kind of sounds cliche. 18:29 But again, it has to start with the relationship first. 18:33 You know as I oftentimes preach, 18:34 we can't have the horizontal 18:36 without having the vertical first. 18:38 All right. You know, that's important. 18:39 You have to be committed to something or you 18:42 will be committed to something else. 18:44 So you have to take the time out to really explore, 18:47 let your fingers do the walking for the scriptures. 18:50 Allow it to speak to you personally. 18:51 Yeah. 18:52 Oftentimes tell us I'm teaching. 18:54 Don't just read the Bible, 18:55 but allow it to speak to you personally. 18:58 And then God will become that important part of your life. 19:02 I changed my name, I put my name in scriptures. 19:05 You know, Kim, 19:06 faith is the substance of things hoped for, 19:08 evidence of things not seen. 19:10 Kim, the Lord is your shepherd, 19:12 you know, and He will protect me 19:15 and Kim, He's is not giving you a spirit of fear, 19:17 but of power and a sound mind. 19:20 And Kim, you can do all things 19:22 through Christ who strengthens you. 19:24 Because that's His promise. 19:25 Of course. 19:26 How do we lean on the promises of God? 19:29 You know what? 19:31 You have to record scripture to memory. 19:32 And what what's better to have in life than experiences? 19:37 Promises come through experience, 19:39 you know, hardship, trials, tribulation. 19:41 Yes. 19:43 Being unemployed, or as I would often say, 19:45 when you get that letter in the mail that has the red 19:47 writing on it, you know, 19:49 you have to have some sense of faith. 19:51 You know, as you said, God will never leave me 19:52 nor forsake me. 19:54 Sanctify them with truth, thy word is true. 19:55 Yes. 19:57 You have to record that and you have to walk in it, 19:59 but most importantly, Kim, James says what? 20:02 Undefiled, not undefiled, but unstable man what? 20:05 Is unstable. 20:07 A man's unstable in all his ways. 20:08 All his ways, absolutely. 20:10 James 1:8. Yes. Absolutely. 20:11 So you have to not only say it, you have to confirm it, 20:15 walk in it, but believe it. 20:17 And I think that's a challenge for many of us in these days, 20:20 especially in the context 20:22 of this 21st century that we live in. 20:23 It has to be intimacy with God. 20:25 Intimacy, that's what I was getting ready to go, 20:27 you gotta have a romance with God. 20:28 Oh, yes, yeah. 20:30 You know, he, I've learned since Arthur's passing, 20:32 that I have a romance with Him, I cry with Him. 20:36 I talk to Him, I lean on Him. 20:39 You know, I was having church on the way 20:41 here to my office today, just praising Him, 20:44 thanking Him that I was able to get on the freeway, 20:48 and He opened up a path for me to be able to get here 20:51 and I thank the Lord. 20:52 I want to go back to context. 20:54 Yes. 20:55 The way people interpret the Bible, 20:57 you may see a scripture one way, 20:59 I see it another way. 21:01 But the bottom line, the truth, 21:03 how do we bring people in alignment with the Word 21:05 of God without being offensive? 21:07 You know, what, Kim, one of my mentors oftentimes told me like 21:10 when you're reading the text, you have to have a little bit 21:11 of common sense. 21:13 You know, you have to start with what is true first. 21:17 And the Bible says in the beginning was, 21:19 you know, the Word and Word was God. 21:21 So you have to really believe that, 21:23 study it. 21:24 But most of all, go a little bit more deeper. 21:27 Because I've had the theological training, 21:29 I can deal with semantics, 21:31 I know the history behind certain things. 21:33 A lot of individuals may not know that. 21:35 So you get you a good Bible dictionary. 21:37 Okay. 21:39 Get you some tools, as one of my mentors would say, 21:41 a true pastor has to have his to tools. 21:43 Yes. 21:44 So study to show thyself approved. 21:46 Don't just be a surface reader. 21:48 But dig in the Word of God, 21:50 you know, find out what certain words mean. 21:52 You don't necessarily have to do the Greek or the Hebrew. 21:54 Yes. 21:56 But try to see what that means 21:57 in the context of a theological standpoint, 21:59 as opposed to just reading your traditional dictionary. 22:01 Now, listen, I gotta be honest right now. 22:05 Doc Kim will be honest. 22:07 I love my Sabbath School lesson. 22:09 That's what we read and study to help us 22:11 have more understanding of the Word of God. 22:14 As Sabbath School can be anywhere 22:15 between 9:15 or 11:30. 22:19 Some churches, which 11 o'clock hour have Sabbath School, 22:23 but it's a time for us to come together to fellowship 22:25 and study the Word of God. 22:27 Now, the other day, 22:29 Dr. Kim, had to pull out her dictionary. 22:33 I'm like, okay, I'm reading my Sabbath School lesson. 22:37 And I had about eight words, I did not know. 22:40 Let me tell you, my vocabulary has increased 22:45 in the years I've been doing my Sabbath School lesson. 22:49 I mean, I have words that I can use, 22:53 you know, I use a couple of in my counseling session. 22:55 Now I'm like, and I said, 22:57 do you understand what I'm saying? 22:58 They said, No. 22:59 And, but every morning 23:01 when I studied my Sabbath School lesson, 23:03 do you know the Lord said, 23:04 I'll bring all things back to your remembrance? 23:06 Yes. 23:08 I use something from that lesson every time I said, 23:10 thank You, Jesus. 23:12 Thank You. 23:13 So we need to sit and that's that I learned 23:15 that scripture first. 23:17 2 Timothy 3:16, study to show thyself approved 23:20 a workman that need not be shame, 23:22 rightly dividing the world of truth. 23:24 Yes. 23:25 So we need to come together in truth, 23:27 be able to find balance. 23:29 Why do you recommend that you know, 23:32 being unequally yoked. 23:34 You wanted to marry a Seventh-day Adventist? 23:36 Yes. 23:37 You know, that was nonnegotiable. 23:39 You were not going to marry outside the faith. 23:41 Not at all. Tell me why? 23:43 Because it's important to for your spiritual, 23:45 mental and physically, 23:47 you want to make sure that what's stated in the Word 23:51 applies to you, God has given us a template, 23:53 God doesn't want us to entertain 23:55 certain things in the world. 23:56 And what happens is that initially, 23:58 you will either be drawn closer to your spouse, 24:01 or further away, because what we fail to realize 24:03 is that our spouse has an impact on our lives. 24:06 And certain things I just wasn't going to have, 24:08 I don't want to get up in the morning, 24:10 and the television is on, because the way 24:12 that I was raised, you don't watch television 24:14 on the Sabbath. 24:15 You know, I want to make sure that there are certain things 24:17 in place that we have a commonality with, 24:20 that I don't have to argue with, 24:21 you know, and I thought that was very important. 24:23 And so matter of fact, Paul talks about it 24:25 in 1 Corinthians, 24:26 so you definitely want to make sure that you 24:28 do that because it's critical to your wellbeing. 24:31 But they say to you, Elder Dorsett, I love him. 24:35 I love her. We'll be all right. 24:37 What's your response? 24:39 And you know what, Kim, Paul often talks about 24:41 how if the wife is married to the husband, 24:44 that the wife, the husband will be sanctified 24:46 through the wife and vice versa. 24:48 As some of us have done things in a way 24:51 that that God understands, but at the same time, 24:55 we have to realize what He wanted us to do 24:57 from the beginning. 24:58 So if a couple has already married out of their faith. 25:01 God is not saying that you divorce that person. 25:03 As a matter of fact, He's saying, 25:05 if the two chooses to be together, 25:07 that they could be together, 25:08 but God holds us responsible 25:10 for the things that we know. 25:12 And right off the bat, 25:13 I knew that it was important for me 25:15 not to be unequally yoked, 25:17 because God wants me to be blessed above and beyond 25:21 not to have certain things 25:22 or to deal with certain things 25:23 that I should not have to deal with, 25:25 if I would have just been obedient to the spirit. 25:27 And I felt the same way when I met Arthur. 25:29 And our first date was I invited him to church. 25:34 And from that day forward, he was sight. 25:38 When he walked in. He said, what are they doing? 25:40 And I was like, what, what, you know, 25:42 we take it for granted, 25:43 because we were in church every weekend, 25:45 and we should be in Sabbath School. 25:47 You know, I'm Sabbath School superintendent, 25:49 so I'm there one of them. 25:51 But he said, what is this that's going on? 25:53 And I said, it's Sabbath School. 25:55 He said, what is Sabbath School? 25:57 And I told him what it was, 25:59 they took him to the beginner's class. 26:01 Three and a half months later, he was baptized. 26:04 And then three and a half, three years later, 26:06 we were married, but I was not going to marry 26:09 out of the faith be unequally yoked, 26:12 and understand it because he was used to watching TV 26:14 on Saturday playing golf Friday night. 26:18 And you know, he told me one night he says, 26:19 I love the Sabbath. 26:21 He looked forward to it because he said, 26:23 just rest and every... 26:26 Do you know, every week we watch the Bible stories. 26:30 He says, Oh, well tell me about Moses. 26:32 Tell me about Esther. 26:34 Who was Ruth? Because he didn't know. 26:37 And so I would be like, boy, 26:39 if you don't let me go to sleep? 26:40 No, no, no. Tell me about Jeremiah? 26:42 Who was King Jehoshaphat? 26:44 And I'm like, really, really right now. 26:47 And we go to church, 26:48 and the sermon was on King Jehoshaphat. 26:51 He will be there like, yes, you know, 26:53 and his one of his favorite scriptures for the battle 26:56 is not mine, it is the Lord. 26:59 He memorized that, 2 Chronicles 20:15, 27:03 he loved it. 27:05 You understand. 27:06 So in our last minute, 27:07 what can you say to us 27:09 to better our relationship and commitment to God? 27:11 You want to be, you want to be open and honest with God. 27:14 God knows everything about us. He knows that we're sinners. 27:17 He knows that we're flawed. 27:19 But He did what He had to do for us 27:20 what on the cross. 27:22 So the cross sets the template 27:24 for where you and I need to go from here. 27:26 And Christ knew that by His selfless sacrifice, 27:29 that we would what? 27:30 Become whole. 27:31 So we do that by committing ourselves to Him, 27:34 talking to Him open and honestly, 27:36 because He knows all things. 27:38 I don't think it's anything that we can hide from God. 27:40 And as long as you and I continue to do that, 27:43 but at the same time, 27:44 grow in our relationship with Him. 27:46 God doesn't want us to be stagnant. 27:48 As a matter of fact, he wants us 27:49 to progress and grow, 27:51 and it's physically, mentally and spiritually. 27:54 So as we continue to dive in the Word of God 27:57 to confess our sins before Him 27:58 but 1 John 1:9 says what? 28:01 He is faithful and just to forgive not some, Dr. Kim, 28:05 but all. 28:06 And when we do that, 28:07 we grow into grace of our Lord and Savior. 28:09 Well, I think he said it all. 28:11 I want to thank you for being with us 28:13 on Live To Be Well. 28:14 Elder Dorsett, 28:15 Live To Be Well. 28:17 I'm Dr. Kim. God bless. |
Revised 2021-08-30